Ancient Riddim – Tuff Nut

Marley Palmer gives Ancient Riddim its strongest early punch with “Heartless, ” a tough, melancholy cut that sets the tone for the whole 2016 Tuff Nut production. J Dot Manswell’s “Love Sickness” keeps that same reflective edge but leans a little sweeter in the melody, which is where the riddim’s pull really starts to show; it’s one of those rootsy patterns that leaves room for the voices to do the heavy lifting. Song Bird and Jaron Nurse both fit naturally into that mood, while Empress Smooth closes things out with “Journey, ” a graceful late-set turn before the instrumental version comes in. Tuff Nut keeps the arrangement spare and steady, letting the songs breathe, and the result is a compact six-track set with just enough warmth to make you want one more spin.